


Light at The End of The Rabbit Hole

by Dershternen, jayjacob_scribbles



Series: doublebassstory [2]
Category: Gorillaz, Powerpuff Girls
Genre: & publicity stunts, Alternate Universe, Comic, Drug Abuse, Family Drama, Flashbacks, Gen, M/M, So many flashbacks, a lot of spiritual/spn lore, also most of the gorillaz insane lore is alt-reality storyline they come up for the fans, comic + text parts, just drama, reality behind the lore is somewhat similar but not always as epic, something like that, we'll explore most important parts of it with time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 02:04:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16986060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dershternen/pseuds/Dershternen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jayjacob_scribbles/pseuds/jayjacob_scribbles
Summary: Chapter 1 of the ongoing family drama.Where no one told Ace life was gonna be this way. But at least his job's no joke anymore. He's living the dream playing in his favorite band. Everything is grand now.Right?(Or: Where Ace is Murdoc's Son, But Shhhhh No One Knows About It Yet)





	1. keith richards’s guitar 1

**Author's Note:**

> check the previous part for the prologue and the series description for more info on the story~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trash-man’s daring escape from safety and unnecessary heartfelt goodbyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR: How To Influence Your Child All Tha Way Forward doing the Bare Minimum
> 
> OR: You Can’t Really Be Menacing Wearin’ Jamaican Sunglasses
> 
> OR: What Hard Rock Cafe to rob In Order To Have Keith Richards’ Guitar


	2. keith richards’s guitar 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earlier that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR: you’re not a true conman until you try to con your favorite band~


	3. we go way back 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conman’s handbook says to be “ready for everything”. It doesn’t say what to do in this situation though.


	4. we go way back 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Russ turned to Noodle.
> 
> “That ur friend?”
> 
> “Yeah,” - said she. - “‘Ts ma bestie. Great guy.”
> 
> Russ raised his eyebrows.
> 
> “We go way back,” - she said defensively.
> 
> Ace blinked. Alrighty then.

**(ABOUT) THREE WEEKS AGO**

To be honest, no person in their right mind would go to the club to listen to a solo bass performance.

Ace tried to master acoustic guitar back when he was a teen, but apart from bringing him some change on the streets, it made him bored outta his mind. Besides, he couldn’t even mask his mediocre skills with singing. He was no Ed Sheeran, that much he knew.

But bass was another story. Ace was leaning mainly on intuition while learning to play, and all jokes about bass players aside, it proved to be possible to reach somewhat decent level just by lots and lots of improvising.

One thing led to another, and Ace landed this part-time gig downtown. He was hired by a fairly successful local cover band for a set of services, which included:

1\. Playing before said band in bars, to make up for them being constantly late due to “mystical coincidences”. (Ace suspected the lead guitar’s drug addiction. Mystical enough - she fell from the stage already couple times for the last week Ace been working with them.)

2\. Watching over them and be a designated driver in case something goes wrong. (It did pretty often.)

Unfortunately, considering the quality of bars the band was performing in, unless you were Jaco Pastorius, there was always a slight risk of being shot on stage. So Ace’s act usually was brief and involved a lot of guitar-slapping.

Apart from that, it was nothing special - worse than it could’ve been, but better than the jobless void Ace fell into for last half a year. To be honest, it was hard. When the boys were living in a leaking trailer in a literal dump, Ace was a proper leader, capable and (allegedly) fearless. Now, when they were able to afford renting a flat, everybody proved to be more capable than him. They all found decent jobs, and they even have been able to start a fund for Lil Arturo’s college. It was just a jar in a closet. But a big, promising jar. Full of wonders yet to come, as Big Billy used to say.

And then there was Ace. 20-something, good for nothing. He has been doing odd jobs, but couldn’t settle anywhere for long. Maybe he had seem too much of a street rat for employers. Which he was, with all honesty. Wasn’t looking good in a resume tho.

So Ace was not complaining about the gig. He was just observing, making notes. Wasn’t his fault notes came out to be sorta greasy.

* * *

 

After Ace finished his routine, he sat down at the bar.

He was looking at the band performance with a certain numbness. As a cover band, they accepted requests. Sometimes they were hilariously bad. Right now someone ordered Nickelback and it was a jab at the vocalist’s pride, so instead of singing properly, he was hissing like bacon on fire.

Ace swirled on a bar stool and deeply signed in hope that bartender would take pity at him. Bartender wasn’t impressed, but rewarded him with a glass of water.

The night was young and people just started to gather, so the bar was not very busy.

Ace pushed his slipping shades farther up his nose. Someone might say that only douchebags wear shades in the building, but they did allow to stare at people freely for as long as you wanted, and really, Ace was ready to accept any label as long as it came in handy.

Aside a couple of obvious regulars, there was also a tiny woman in sickeningly bright hoodie. She looked quite out of place, like a teen, who wandered here to take home her drunken father.

She sipped whiskey on rocks.

Maybe she was the drunken father.

Except the hood covering her bangs, Ace couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something familiar about her. He was only hoping that it wasn’t because she was Asian and he had sight problems. He didn’t want to be That Guy.

Meanwhile, the band had finally finished torturing people with their take on Nickelback and got to another request.

“Somebody is feeling nostalgic!” - the vocalist yelled in the mike. “Here is “Feel Good Inc”! Without the rap part tho, sorry.”

Ace felt a tingle of warmness inside. To be honest, that was him who left this request. He figured that if he is going to sit at the bar with only water in his system, he might as well try to enjoy it. And he knew for sure that was the only Gorillaz song the band was capable of playing.

Watching the band for a bit, Ace looked at the girl again.

She was sorta tense now. She finished her whiskey in one gulp and called the bartender.

With the corner of the eye Ace saw her showing something to him. It looked like some piece of paper. Whatever it was, bartender shook his head with blank expression.

The girl was visibly disappointed. She slided down from the stool, clearly about to leave. Then she looked up - straight at Ace.

He quickly redirected his look at the stage again, feeling suddenly embarrassed. The girl’s look was pretty intense.

When the vocalist reached the second windmill, she was already gone.

When Ace was driving drunken band members home that night, it hit him. The reason why she seemed so familiar.

But it couldn’t been true. His vision must’ve been playing tricks on him.

I couldn’t be muthafuckin’ Noodle from muthafuckin’ Gorillaz.

* * *

 

The club was way more sleazy than the one they were before. Ace half-expected that someone would throw a bottle at his head. The band was still hangover and slightly high, so for them the experience had still laid ahead. Ace was bracing himself for driving them all to the hospital instead of their houses.

Unfortunately, that again meant that he couldn’t even get a fucking Margarita.

He was moving quickly, trying to find at least somewhat decent and free of stains place for himself and his bass. He was pretty sure at least three couples were already fucking in darker corners.

That’s when he saw her again.

Same hoodie, same complexion. It was the girl.

She was diving through the crowd like a little koi fish, with joint in her fingers and hood on her head. Heart-shaped glasses sparkled under her bangs.

By now Ace could say that he was quite intrigued.

Hypothetically, it could’ve been Noodle. He was aware that The Band was staying in Detroit. But what could’ve prompted her to visit such smelly places? Aren’t stars supposed to club at the tops of skyscrapers with Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart making brownies, of something?

How dangerous exactly was to get mixed in this?

* * *

 

So far things have been pretty intense. The guitarist was in ER two times for the last week and the drummer caught some STD which didn’t allow him to sit properly.

But all this meant nothing to Ace. Only the hoodie girl occupied his thoughts completely.

For the last five clubs and bars they’ve been playing in, she was always there. She usually arrived well after the band started to play and when there were decent amount of people already. She was always covered up, took something to drink and talked to the bartender. Then she disappeared.

By this time Ace was pretty sure that she was, in fact, the Noodle from Gorillaz herself. He’s made a point to google paparazzi photos just to compare how she could’ve looked without makeup and photoshop, and it was a match.

He’s been expecting her this time. His curiosity was bothering him like fleas. (Ace was familiar with this metaphor quite literally.)

He thought about getting a chance to talk to her and to learn about why she keeps visiting all this places. Would it be better to ask her directly? Wasn’t she a direct person? What were the odds she’d hit him directly in the face?

Still deep in thought, Ace sat down at the bar.

As entertaining as in was to look at the suffering drummer, he kept looking around, waiting for a glimpse of pink hoodie.

“Hey,” - said the bartender. “You can’t sit here”.

Ace looked at him blankly, trying to remember if he did something to piss him off in the past. The guy appeared quite generic.

“Unless you buy a drink, you can’t. I don’t make the rules.”

Ace looked at the plaque behind the bartender. It said “My Bar - My Rules”.

Right.

“Sorry chef. Ain’t got no money tonight. But you see, I need to watch those fuckas on stage. I’m, how to say… Their nanny.”

“I don’t care, mate. Unless ya skinny ass ‘bout to order somethin’, Imma callin’ the security. We’ve got a hit up ‘bout ya folk, that stuff disappears here and there after ya’all performance. And from what I’m lookin’ at, you better leave the premises and wait for your friends outside.”

Ace clicked his tongue.

Fuckin’ band was going to throw him under the bus for whatever junk they’ve smuggled from those shitholes. Not cool.

“That’s a shitty team to be in, that’s for sure,” – remarked somebody behind Ace.

He turned around.

The one and only Noodle from Gorillaz plopped on a stool besides him.

“I’m buying, man,” - she said to the bartender. “Long Island for my friend here. And make it longer.”

She saluted Ace with her drink.

Bartender shot them a glance, but obliged.

Ace stared at Noodle, desperately trying to find some words to say _and_ not appear completely dumb while at it.

“So,” - he said.

“So,” - she repeated after him. “Wassup?”

“Drummer got STD and he can’t sit properly,” - blurted Ace, already accepting his imminent death.

Noodle raised her eyebrows and shot a quick glance on stage.

“Shit,” - she said. “I thought he was more energetic.”

“Gettin’ a solo in the middle of the chorus? Yeah, you can say so.”

She snorted, spitting whiskey right on Ace’s shirt.

Great.

**PRESENT TIME**

“Music,” - said Noodle with a wide smile. “That’s how we know each other, ha-ha!”

Ace noted how intensely Russel was watching her. It seemed that he was doing everything intensely though, but Ace still panicked – just in case.

“Look, he’s got a guitar! So yeah. We jam sometimes. Don’t we?”

She slapped Ace’s shoulder, probably dislocating it forever.

“We sure jam,” - said Ace. “We jam very much.”


	5. How It Happened 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All bassists are crazy, this is like. The law of the universe or smthn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR: how (un)prompted suspicions can give you a chance to lay your hands on Murdoc’s private bass collection 
> 
> OR: the day Noodle understood the family’s long standing tradition of kidnapping new band members.


	6. How It Happened 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what his answer will be wowwww.
> 
> OR: this action will have consequences 🌈💙👺🏀🔪🎸👓🎤🐍🎸💚✨


	7. settling in 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stuart: *is so out of it he doesn’t even notice Ace*  
> Ace: *pretends that he’s a real grown up and ignores him back*
> 
> Also ts ok, Noodle, boi just got his own room for, like, the first time in his life.


	8. settling in 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes that’s pretty much most of the possessions he has at this time of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR: the point where we learn that Ace stuffed his bag (and his pot) right under the porch before ringing the bell all cool and suave


	9. setlling in 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace’s very own room at the Spirit House! Well, more like - his very own attic… Well, ok, part of the attic where he moved most of the boxes aside.

* * *

 

**This place has everything one might need:**

\- mattress

\- beach umbrella to go over the mattress when it rains and the roof leaks like crazy

\- coat hanger because who has space for a closet, amiright

\- cozy carpet, soft from dust

\- chair made outta stack of shirts

\- very questionable poster of phase 2 Stuart pinned in the most convenient spot over the bed

\- Stu-in-a-Pot - the potted plant of absolutely legal nature (if anyone asks)

\- suspiciously new age-y and magic looking trinkets and amulets here and there, because at one certain point in his life Ace understood that, yaknow. you can never be _too_ safe with some things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next: the backstory of the 2 most treasured Ace’s possessions (excluding the guitar)


	10. the Stuarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you are a homeless teenage boy with bigger-than-life celebrity crush, an old, greasy from attention poster, and a pot of weed, but you still dream big.

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR: how long the inspiration from a sexy picture can last and how far in life it can take you?
> 
> OR: the amount of sexiness in this poster is measured in (exceptionally) negative amounts, but when you dream big u be seeing more of the fap-potential, not reality.
> 
> OR: in Ace’s book it’s okay to talk to inanimate objects as long as they have a face. That’s okay, that’s normal. Means you’re not a total goner, right? Ha-hah.
> 
> \----
> 
> the Stuart poster in full glory can be seen here: doublebassstory.tumblr.com/post/178419627115/fake-magazine-poster-me-and-m-pal-made-for-our


	11. Omake 1: them pants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heads up: omakes can be set at any point of AU timeline, before current events or someplace in the future (like the one in this post), but it really doesn’t matter much, coz time is an illusion and demon deals mess stuff up ahahahamiright?


	12. axe rockstar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We present to you - Ace’s misconceptions about the life of a rock star

 

* * *

 

 **Expectations:** riding around town, hanging from a sunroof of a cool car, having a nice time in the cool night air.  
  
**Reality:** driving to the grocery store in Russell’s rusty old truck. And Noodle throws a smelly old jacket over your head when someone with a camera looks at you funny at the stoplight.

  
  
**Expectations:** you slide in the life of the gorgeous singer like honey over toast. You sweep him off his feet, make him question his sexuality and seduce for the life of crime (but not like, major “Law&Order” crime) untill he falls for you like rose petals fall under the wind.  
  
**Reality:** Stuart 2D Pot have been blankly staring at the wall most of the day, for most days of the week you were in the house. You never saw him move. Or eat. Or talk. Or react to anything beside Noodle shaking half full cereal box that one time.  
  
“Honestly, same,” - She said with a hint of warmth in her tone, ruffled Stuarts hair, and placed a full bowl in front of him. - “That’s bi culture”.  
  
So, you sign quietly, no “questioning the sexuality” part then.  
  
Expectations: partying!  
  
Reality: “No, Jamie, we’re not going to that event now, that’s a waste of time” © Noodle over the phone about 3 times a day since you moved in.

  
  
**Expectations:** now you can finally rock this Axe Rockstar image, gonna bathe in it! And the Band, they even have it stocked in the cabinet! Just like your sweaty teen self imagined back in the day.  
  
**Reality:** everyone is looking at you funny for a couple of days until you find out that The Band uses Axe Rockstar as an air freshener in the bathroom.

  
  
**Expectations:** everyone is saying to watch out for the producer, Hewlett, because he’s a creep and generally a really nasty person or something.  
  
**Reality:** Jamie is actually a polite, calm individual, really, an absolute champ! Very supportive, and is always interested in learning more about you and your gang. He never gets tired of going over the family photos in your phone, and that’s a rare trait.

  
  
**Expectations:** doing celebrity interviews for Big Channels or fashion magazines, dropping one-liners like you drop your fur coat on the floor, being suave and charming with the fans.  
  
**Reality:** Noodle very hesitantly agrees with Jamie to go on one (1) radio podcast. The host immediately notices your sweaty teenage Axe aesthetic, and ironically notes how “you can always smell the bassist outta the band”. On air.  
  
And for the next 40 minutes you’re stuck in the tiny room with everyone, answering an array of hosts armed with ridiculous twitter-submitted questions.

  
  
**Expectations:** having a nice car and a private driver to get you to places.  
  
**Reality:** you’re the driver. Again. The designated one too, since Russ “can finally take a break from babying this kindergarten and enjoy his evening beer after work”. His old as balls truck scares you more than the haunted Fiesta you jacked that one time, but you decide not to argue. Maybe, if you’re driving, Noodle will not risk using that horrid jacket to hide you again.

  
  
**Expectations:** making meaningful connections with everyone in the band.  
  
**Reality:**  
  
**1  
**After you get everyone home safely after the interview (despite Noodle tucking you under the steering wheel and driving the car herself for very scary 15 minutes) you smell more like old musty leather jacket than Axe now.  
  
(You’re not sure which one is better by this point)  
  
**2  
**In the kitchen you find Stuart, calmly drowning, face in the full cereal bowl. You panic and freeze the milk, and then panic again, because the whole bowl got frozen to 2D’s face and he still can’t breathe. While you run around filling cups with hot water, Stuart tries to lift his head but ends up banging the bowl over the table hard. This should’ve given him another concussion, but at least the iced bowl breaks. You and Stuart both take a relieved breath to celebrate that.  
  
(2d still remains as unresponsive as ever, and your subtle worry grows)  
  
**3**  
Later at evening very tired looking Russ finds you in the living room and presents you with a big box. “From all of us,” - He says. - “A housewarming gift.”  
  
Box is stuffed to the top with Old Spice “Arctic Force”.  
  
“Axe,” - adds Russell, looking you straight in the eyes, - “Is banned to bathroom use only.” He lets go of the box only after getting a hesitant nod in response.  
  
(Next day, you feel very adult using Old Spice for the first time)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR: Here in The Spirit House Where Dreams Break Every Day.


	13. Omake 2: back in Kong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> about 2doc and publicity in this AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR: phase 1 be ridiculous like that sometimes.


	14. i’ll be watching you 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Couple days before the previous update: Ace chats up with The Gang about his new rockstar status.

 -

 -

 -

 -

 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR: when you can’t spell for your life and just usually text in emojis instead.
> 
> \---
> 
> Ace’s photos in full glory are here: doublebassstory.tumblr.com/post/178840352638/from-our-recent-comic-update-cool-awesome-photos


	15. i’ll be watching you 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing to see here. Just Ace taking his sneaky celebrity photos. Trying his best to ignore Noodle secretly watching him like a hawk 24/7. And to not notice Russell watching Noodle watching Ace with ever growing suspicion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole thing worries Russ. It really does. Noodle is sure worried about something too. And Ace- Ace is just stressed.


	16. easy come easy go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A story about how Murdoc went missing for a week and then turned up to be in prison. Too bad it happened to be a really bad timing. Everyting went so normal - therapy, rehab, all the rocky promises starting to look real. Stuart too started to believe that they can go on like that. That maybe it means something. But then again, maybe 2D is just really, really stupid. So as Stuart.

* * *

 

 _One, you think you’re done._  
_But two, he smiles at you._  
_Three, you have that drink._  
_Four, you’re at drugstore._  
_Five, are you alive?_

When you wake up, it’s October and everything seems different.

**Author's Note:**

> For additional art, dop. materials, comments, and so on check out tumblr - doublebassstory.tumblr.com  
> and instagram - doublebassstory  
> 


End file.
